Barelle Vineyards

Wine and War: The French, the Nazis, and the Battle for France's Greatest Treasure by Donald Kladstrup and Petie Kladstrup

As described on Amazon:

"In 1940, France fell to the Nazis and almost immediately the German army began a campaign of pillaging one of the assets the French hold most dear: their wine. Like others in the French Resistance, winemakers mobilized to oppose their occupiers, but the tale of their extraordinary efforts has remained largely unknown - until now.

This is the thrilling and harrowing story of the French wine producers who undertook ingenious, daring measures to save their cherished crops and bottles as the Germans closed in on them. Wine and War illuminates a compelling, little-known chapter of history, and stands as a tribute to those extraordinary individuals who waged a battle that, in a very real way, saved the spirit of France."

This event is open to members and non-members, women and men alike. You don't even have to finish the book to come be a part of the discussion. We will share six wines while discussing the book. Along with the discussion and wine sharing, many of our guests like to bring small bites for sharing. This is a great opportunity to make new wine friends while learning a bit more about wine and history. Be sure to RSVP, as seats are limited.

The Mad Crush: An Obscure California Vineyard and the Quest to Make One Great Wine by Sean Weir

As described on Amazon:

"In the summer of 1974, a young man named Bill Greenough found his way to a remote California canyon where a century-old Zinfandel vineyard had been lost to history. Toiling alone with nothing more than a pick and shovel, Greenough embarked on an audacious dream: to bring the abandoned vines back to life and start his own fledgling winery. He devoted the next 20 years to this herculean task, trading a monied Montecito upbringing for the life of a rural iconoclast. And in the fall of 1995, it all culminated in an unforgettable grape harvest, when an unlikely cast of characters joined Greenough for a season of folly, adversity and self-discovery. The Mad Crush is the true story of that headstrong vintage—and of a decades-long quest to make one great wine."

This event is open to members and non-members, women and men alike. You don't even have to finish the book to come be a part of the discussion. We will share six wines while discussing the book. Along with the discussion and wine sharing, many of our guests like to bring small bites for sharing. This is a great opportunity to make new wine friends while learning a bit more about wine and history. Be sure to RSVP, as seats are limited.

Wine Wars: The Curse of the Blue Nun, the Miracle of Two Buck Chuck, and the Revenge of the Terroirists byMike Veseth (Author), Clinton Wade (Narrator)

As described on Amazon: "Writing with wit and verve, Mike Veseth (a.k.a. the Wine Economist) tells the compelling story of the war between the market trends that are redrawing the world wine map and the terroirists who resist them. Wine and the wine business are at a critical crossroad today, transformed by three powerful forces. Veseth begins with the first force, globalization, which is shifting the center of the wine world as global wine markets provide enthusiasts with a rich but overwhelming array of choices.

Two Buck Chuck, the second force, symbolizes the rise of branded products like the famous Charles Shaw wines sold in Trader Joe's stores. Branded corporate wines simplify the worldwide wine market and give buyers the confidence they need to make choices, but they also threaten to dumb down wine, sacrificing terroir to achieve marketable, McWine reliability. Will globalization and Two Buck Chuck destroy the essence of wine? Perhaps, but not without a fight, Veseth argues.

He counts on "the revenge of the terroirists" to save wine's soul. But it won't be easy as wine expands to exotic new markets such as China and the very idea of terroir is attacked by both critics and global climate change.

Veseth has "grape expectations" that globalization, Two Buck Chuck, and the revenge of the terroirists will uncork a favorable future for wine in an engaging tour-de-force that will appeal to all lovers of wine, whether it be boxed, bagged, or bottled."

This event is open to members and non-members, women and men alike. You don't even have to finish the book to come be a part of the discussion. We will share six wines while discussing the book. Along with the discussion and wine sharing, many of our guests like to bring small bites for sharing. This is a great opportunity to make new wine friends while learning a bit more about wine and history. Be sure to RSVP, as seats are limited.

If you've been a part of our book club for a while, you may recognize this book as a re-visit. It is one of our favorite wine books that helps understand the importance of wine throughout the history of France.

Who’s Afraid of Romanee-Conti?: A Shortcut to Drinking Great Wines by Dan Keeling

As described on Amazon:

"Wine can be daunting without an incisive guide. Who’s Afraid of Romanée-Conti? is a no-holds-barred voyage of discovery, from sourcing good cheap vino to drinking its most unattainable and holiest of grails – Romanée-Conti – and the universe of interstellar wines that lie in-between.

From new-school Burgundy, Barolo and Champagne to Tenerife, Corsica and Chianti, Noble Rot co-founder Dan Keeling visits some of the world’s most renowned vignerons and vineyards on a quest to find out why some wines matter – and why many others don’t. Throughout, he details the complex aspects of traditionalist wine culture, offering insights into subjects such as sulphur in winemaking, building a cellar, and many personal recommendations on what to buy for every pocket.

It’s wine – but not as you know it."

This event is open to members and non-members, women and men alike. You don't even have to finish the book to come be a part of the discussion. We will share six wines while discussing the book. Along with the discussion and wine sharing, many of our guests like to bring small bites for sharing. This is a great opportunity to make new wine friends while learning a bit more about wine and history. Be sure to RSVP, as seats are limited.

Drunk: How We Sipped, Danced, and Stumbled Our Way to Civilization by Edward Slingerland

As described on Amazon:

"An entertaining and enlightening deep dive into the alcohol-soaked origins of civilization—and the evolutionary roots of humanity’s appetite for intoxication. (Daniel E. Lieberman, author of Exercised)

While plenty of entertaining books have been written about the history of alcohol and other intoxicants, none have offered a comprehensive, convincing answer to the basic question of why humans want to get high in the first place.

Drunk elegantly cuts through the tangle of urban legends and anecdotal impressions that surround our notions of intoxication to provide the first rigorous, scientifically grounded explanation for our love of alcohol. Drawing on evidence from archaeology, history, cognitive neuroscience, psychopharmacology, social psychology, literature, and genetics, Slingerland shows that our taste for chemical intoxicants is not an evolutionary mistake, as we are so often told. In fact, intoxication helps solve a number of distinctively human challenges: enhancing creativity, alleviating stress, building trust, and pulling off the miracle of getting fiercely tribal primates to cooperate with strangers. Our desire to get drunk, along with the individual and social benefits provided by drunkenness, played a crucial role in sparking the rise of the first large-scale societies. We would not have civilization without intoxication.

From marauding Vikings and bacchanalian orgies to sex-starved fruit flies, blind cave fish, and problem-solving crows, Drunk is packed with fascinating case studies and engaging science, as well as practical takeaways for individuals and communities. The result is a captivating and long overdue investigation into humanity's oldest indulgence—one that explains not only why we want to get drunk, but also how it might actually be good for us to tie one on now and then."

This event is open to members and non-members, women and men alike. You don't even have to finish the book to come be a part of the discussion. We will share six wines while discussing the book. Along with the discussion and wine sharing, many of our guests like to bring small bites for sharing. This is a great opportunity to make new wine friends while learning a bit more about wine and history. Be sure to RSVP, as seats are limited.